Defining Current and Future process routes of the Global Cement Sector and showing Pathways for the Cement Industry of Senegal

Abstract

The cement industry is a substantial source of global carbon dioxide emissions, and its challenges are growing due to rising demand for cement driven by population growth and infrastructure development. Cement production is responsible for about 7% to 8% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, with over 60% of these emissions stemming from the decomposition of raw materials and the rest from fossil fuel usage. These emissions have detrimental effects on the climate, particularly by contributing to global warming. Consequently, the search for cleaner methods of cement production becomes increasingly paramount. This study offers a thorough evaluation of current cement production processes and presents strategies to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions. It also envisions future pathways for sustainable cement production with a primary goal of utilizing near term available technologies to achieve a substantial reduction in carbon emissions. Additionally, an analysis involving the cement industries of Senegal, China, and Germany was conducted. To achieve these goals, a model was developed to assess parameters such as energy and raw material requirements during cement production, as well as associated carbon dioxide emissions and techno-economic factors. The outcome of this study revealed that carbon dioxide emissions in current cement production processes in selected countries vary between 524 kg of CO2 and 612.2 kg of CO2, with production costs ranging from 53.7 to 64.8 Euros per ton of cement. In contrast, the novel cement production pathways proposed in this study emit between 0 and 33.6 kg of CO2 in the selected countries, with production costs ranging from 62 Euros to 106 Euros per ton of cement. Therefore, this study benefits in reducing environmental impacts, improving energy efficiency, and meeting international climate commitments.